‘Belle,’ ‘The Double,’ ‘Blended,’ ‘Legends of Oz’

The “Belle” of historical dramas arrives Tuesday, Aug. 26. Star ratings are by Seattle Times movie reviewers, freelancers or wire services. For full reviews, search the title at seattletimes.com. Release dates are subject to change.

★★★½ “Belle” (PG): Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrays the mixed-race heroine, the illegitimate daughter of a Royal Navy captain who is raised as an aristocrat in late-1700s England. Writes Seattle Times movie critic Moira Macdonald: “Dido is no Dickensian orphan; she’s a wealthy young heiress (her father died overseas) who’s loved by her guardians … Though her life is a typical society-lady run of needlework and visits, Dido slowly becomes aware of slavery and injustice, transforming into an 18th-century version of ‘the personal is political.’ “

★★ “The Double” (R): Jesse Eisenberg takes on two roles: a shy office clerk trapped in an unhappy life and a charismatic newcomer to the office who immediately wins friends, gains success and catches the eye of the quiet office girl (Mia Wasikowska).